No fewer than 17 women including nursing mothers were abducted by gunmen suspected to be bandits operating in Katsina State.

The brigands abducted the women Thursday in Sabuwa Local Government Area (LGA) of the state while they were travelling to Funtua town for a wedding ceremony.

Most of the women abducted were nursing mothers with babies, Daily Trust reported.

The report noted that the victims were intercepted by the brigands in a road between Ungwar Rimi village and Garin Maigora shortly after the assailants whisked them away to an undisclosed location.

“The incident happened when the women were on their way from Unguwar Rimi Village to Garin Maigora town to attend a wedding ceremony,” the news outlet reported, citing a source.

One of the nursing mothers was however spared with her baby by the captors due to the ill health of her baby, the report said.

Residents in the communities are said to be decrying the incessant attacks by bandits.  

The police spokesman in Katsina, Gambo Isah, when contacted for comments from Peoples Gazette Friday night declined to make comments, stressing that our reporter does not reside in Katsina.

Banditry in the North-West region has witnessed an uptick of recent, the home state of President Muhammadu Buhari being one of the most affected.

Few weeks ago, over 300 schoolboys in Kankara, Katsina were abducted just at a time the president went to his country home for holidays. 

The boys were later released after huge ransom reportedly exchanged hands.

The latest attack in Katsina occurred barely 48 hours after bandits abducted school students alongside staffers in a government secondary school in Kagara, Niger state.